A Fallen Star
by Anixi3L
Summary: Treacherous, elusive and devastatingly handsome, Starscream presents the image of a fierce and loyal warrior, but beneath the confident and brash exterior lies loathing, regret and confusion. Upon meeting the human girl, he realizes he no longer knows where his true loyalty lies. *ON HOLD*
1. Prologue

_**Title: A Fallen Star**_

_**Summary:**_ **_Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it only prolongs our torment. Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear. Yet it is what we cling to in order to survive the worst of days._**

_**Characters: Starscream: Armada, Megatron: Armada, Sideways: Armada, Soundwave: G1, Shockwave: G1, **__**Thundercracker: G1.**_

_**Character pairing: Starscream x Teegan Taylor (OC)  
**_

_**Rating: M for extreme graphic detail, profanity and gore. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Transformers Armada or Generation 1 including their affiliated characters. I own my personal characters and the plot of this story.**_

* * *

The entire City as far as the eye could see was ablaze. The once blue skies now an immutable, ominous lurid shade of grey. Thick poisonous smog—saturated with the stench of burning tarmac, decay and incinerated flesh, hung loosely over the crumbled, gutted remains of the few residual buildings stood in the distance. The hellish wasteland was laced with destruction and carnage in every direction. Scattered streams of thick billowing smoke drifted upwards lazily from the mountains of wreckage spread across the vast landscape. Collapsed highways, fallen telephone poles, crumbling remnants of structures and shattered glass smothered the ashen ground everywhere in a jagged dense blanket.

_The collapse of human supremacy on Earth._

The smouldering wreckage of overturned vehicles, military artillery and public transportation, stood motionless, their doors left wide, abandoned by those who had attempted to flee the City. However, judging from the thousands of scattered carbonated corpses, laying face down in the thick rubble and ash—the majority evidently, had not succeeded. The once, bustling, prosperous City of London was now, nothing more than a pitiful, desolate wasteland.

The skies remained empty, devoid of winged life. There were no birds, no insects... nothing. Streams and rivers had dried up, leaving the land cracked and dry, diminishing plants and animals alike_._ The sun had not climbed the horizon in days; constant darkness consumed all, eliminating any optimism which remained. With a society shattered and forgotten and the ground saturated with the spattered blood of the innocent, those few who survive now find themselves locked in a constant struggle to maintain their sanity.

But there were those who swore to protect us. Whose duty it was to ensure that human kind did not fall victim to the heinous barbarity and violence of those known as the Decepticons. Autonomous robotic organisms capable of disguising themselves amongst our everyday transportation and other numerous mechanical objects remained among us, in plain sight, insignificant—infinitesimal to the billions of wandering eyes of Earths occupants. That was until the war was declared. The very war that would bring about the genocide of the human race.

With the numerous outbreaks of unexplained wide-spread violence and blood shed becoming more frequent, cover-up was becoming increasingly more difficult to establish. The truth that had been withheld from the public eye for so long was at last exposed as the sentient race openly engaged in a fully fledged conflict which steadily progressed across the planet, consuming all in its path. The week long battle waged took a devastating toll, diminishing the majority of all indigenous life caught in its crossfire, ravaging the planet beyond recognition.

With the death of their benevolent leader, the Autobots retreated—abandoning earth and leaving it to its grim fate. They failed to protect us, to preserve the continuation of our human ascendancy... and in turn the planets remaining inhabitants were relentlessly wasted and slain as the Decepticon tyranny was finally free to spread like a plague through all continents of the world.

With the restoration of their home planet of Cybertron futile, it remains in an ever dormant state, dooming the entire Cybertronian civilization. Vast, cold and unsympathetic, the sentient beings now regard Earth with envious eyes, and in turn, formulated a new plan. In need of a slave labor force, deployed mechanized units now pick at the very edges of the city. To ruthlessly track down and capture any remaining survivors in hiding. Forced into slavery, the remaining humans now serve an important purpose to their cause.

The reconstruction of a New Cybertron... _upon Earth._


	2. Inevitable Fate

**_Chapter 1: Inevitable Fate_**

* * *

_"The heart dies a slow death, shedding each hope like leaves until one day there are none. No hopes. Nothing remains." ~Arthur Golden._

Poisonous, rancid air greeted starving lungs and in turn made her wretch and splutter. Resorting to covering her mouth with the leather sleeve of her jacket, she peered ahead at what she would have to endure through watering, apprehensive eyes. A coarse, greyish tongue flicked over dry cracked lips, the combination of noxious fumes and dehydration had left her throat hoarse and moisture less. The food supply was scarce and the supply of water now completely consumed. For she had not anticipated just how long she would be forced to reside within the confinements of her sanctuary—an overturned truck on the very outskirts of the city. However, what affected her most was not the burnt out husk of a city before her, but the_ screams._

_All consuming. _

_Unceasing._

_Always so shrill and sudden._

Piercing the air as often as the gunfire which followed.

The human race, obliterated, slain so remorselessly by the scourge that was slowly consuming the City and everything in its path. Faint gunfire echoed for what seemed like weeks overhead, piercing and obliterating whatever unfortunate flesh had been discovered. Even by the dead of night they hunted, relentless in their task. The reverberating hum and bright lucidity of the passing ships search lights, sweeping over her by the hour.

However, the screams had at last, ceased, and a deafening, consuming silence ensued. It had been quiet for days now, _too quiet._ The only sounds to accompany her were the consistent groans of pain from her neglected stomach. With a grunt, she hauled herself upwards and proceeded to clamber onto the threshold of the truck. Crossing its leaden surface with quiet echoing thuds, she jumped nimbly, landing with a 'crunch' onto the blanched soil below. Breath held fast, she cautiously began the precarious descent into the inner city area.

* * *

Carried by a slight breeze, ash and scorched newspaper articles swirled about her feet, as she trudged fastidiously within the shadows of the deserted streets. Passing defaced, forlorn looking, boarded up shops, their lettering barley visible underneath the thick layer of ash which had settled upon them. Parts of their walls completely obliterated, revealing the empty stark shelves within, the majority of their goods such as food, stolen or rotted beyond consumption. Multitudes of motionless abandoned cars and trucks, now, merely twisted hulks of burnt out metal, blocked the entire length of road.

Blank unrecognizable faces stared up at her, amongst the wreckage she passed. Limp, pallid limbs—just distinguishable amidst the rubble—hung loosely from the detached bodies buried beneath it. Withering decaying husks of men, women and children alike were slumped, cowering, holding onto one another, blackened from thick layers of dust and cinders. Grey eyes shifted deliberately from the mass of bodies, and resumed to checking the skies. Being spotted by one of those peculiar hovering vessels would only have one consequence, and it was one consequence she was not willing to face.

The wind picked up slightly as she delved dangerously deeper within the Cities ruins, in search of sustenance. Thickening soot and rubble crunched loudly beneath the soles of her desert boots, long dark hair now, completely caked in the swirling ash drifting lazily from the sky. Hesitant as she was to continue, the insistent prickling of her parched, raw throat drove all reason from her mind and pushed her onwards, the mass of bodies thickening, the further she proceeded.

Through the swirling mass of falling ash, she at last, depicted a corner store that was considerably intact. A rift was visible between the vast sheets of corrugated iron and wood chip board just wide enough to fit her thin frame. A repressed grunt left her lips as she sucked in her stomach and stiffened, arms pressed tightly to her sides in order to slip through. Slipping through easily, she peered around blearily, the potent stench of rotting wood pervading her sinuses. It was curiously more humid within the confines of the store. Dust particles slowly dispersed from her disruption, littering the air and reflecting within the dim light that the broken, shattered rafters siphoned through.

Eyes adjusting to the darkness, she cautiously moved further inward, squeezing between rows of stark shelving units, dark eyes quickly scanning the room for the source she had come in search of. At last, she depicted two large powerless refrigerators ahead within the heavy blanket of darkness, stood side by side. Hastily making a beeline for the appliances, she wrenched open the dust covered glass door of the first one, only to be filled with bitter disappointment. The inner shelves were completely stark. An infuriated sigh leaving her lips, she proceeded to wrench open the door of the appliance alongside it. Stomach lurching, dark eyes lit up in triumph, as they rested upon the only three remaining bottles of the precious substance her body craved.

A bottle of water was grasped between fervent hands, its cap torn from it within seconds, and placed to trembling lips. Eyes lidded shut immediately in pure bliss, as the soothing liquid trickled down her swollen throat. She guzzled the glorious liquid greedily, not wanting to waste a precious drop. Lowering the container, she took a few moments to relish in the pleasure it evoked. When a sudden gruff voice, laced heavily with an Irish slur pierced the unsettling silence, causing her to splutter. The bottle slipped from her grasp, bouncing at her feet, contents spilling out and seeping instantly into the thick carpet of ash.

"Oit girl, what do you think yer doing?" An unshaven, stockily built man stumbled aimlessly from within the shadows, a large shot gun held aloft as he began muttering an inaudible string of words. She noted just how filthy his appearance was as he proceeded to step into the dim light. His clothes no more than disheveled dirtied tatters, the little remaining hair plastered to his balding head, thick with grease and dust. His skin was an unhealthy shade of grey, pockmarked with blisters, and blackened in places from grime and filth.

The man did not anticipate the young woman's response, glaring at her with an unsettling madness, he began motioning with the shotgun, exclaiming wildly. "Get out, leave this place right now!" He cried savagely, stumbling over the threshold tempestuously towards her. Extending her hands in a reassuring gesture of compliance, the young girl proceeded to side step him nonchalantly, eying the gun, currently aimed unsteadily at her chest. Bloodshot, swollen eyes did not leave her person, following her every movement suspiciously.

"You will lead them here, you stupid bitch! They will come for us both, leave right now, or I will kill you myself!" He suddenly stopped in his tracks, lowering his eyes the ground, as he seemingly forgot her presence and became aware of something to his right. An inflamed eye twitched, repeatedly, as he continued to stare at whatever had caught his interest. His mouth quivered, and hands trembled, as his eyes began to jerk back and forth uncontrollably.

"They will come. They will come and.. they will slay us. Slay us in cold blood, with no remorse," he began to run his blackened free hand through his filthy hair, muttering a series of inaudible phrases erratically to himself once more, "were all just animals... animals being herded for slaughter."

Her insides knotted tightly at the few audible words of his statement. Watching on as a thick greyish tongue, swiped constantly at his chapped blistered lips. Jaw moving fervently up and down, laced with congealed saliva, as he began to pace the short length of floor opposite her. Dark, grey eyes followed his every movement attentively, only to glance briefly around for a place through which to escape, but there was none except through which the way she came. Too far for her person to slip through and go unnoticed.

As if he had only just processed the fact that she was standing there, his eyes locked onto her suddenly and grew large with sudden delirium. Bellowing loudly, he pelted at her with deliberate force, weapon raised menacingly. Instinctively propelling herself sideways out of his lumbering reach, the girl watched on, bemused as he collided with the expanse of brickwork with monumental force. Weapon sliding from his slackened grasp and clattering to the ground a few inches away.

Rolling on to his side slowly, the crazed man groaned in agony, grimacing as he clutched at his assaulted limb. The girl however, eyed the nearby, isolated weapon perceptively, and swiftly crouched down to retrieve it, but he was too quick. Realizing her intentions he launched himself forwards, seizing the gun quickly from under her outstretched fingers. He rose, with a triumphant and crazed glare, pointing the gun malevolently at her chest once again. Backing up apprehensively, she resumed her position against the wall once more, as bloodshot, bulging eyes bored into hers. The little colour residing within her cheeks, slowly flittering away.

"Thought you was gonna snuff me, did ya?" He emitted a gleeful cackle as he eyed her slight, trembling frame. "Stupid fuck, big mistake ya made there."A click ensued as he cocked the gun, a formidable grin plastering his blackened face. The girl glared back resentfully, with an expression of brave determination.

_She had not survived this long to be murdered by a mere delinquent, surely? Is this what the human race had been reduced to? Murdering, deranged, and egotistical pigs? Stripped of their culture, intelligence... reason?_

However, before he even fired the shot, his grip on the handle suddenly slackened. Grin faltering, his eyes grew wide in a sudden, sheer terror. She watched on uncertainly as he stared blankly ahead at nothing in particular, his hands trembling uncontrollably—knuckles whitening as his grip on the weapon intensified. Then she sensed it too.

The ground began to quiver, ever so slightly beneath their feet. The remaining glass panes still fitted within the shops structure began rattling slightly. A wave of fear rippled through every fiber of her being like a tremor. Every hair on her neck stiffened as her eyes slowly traveled down to the particles of rubble dancing, and quivering in the shifting dirt at her feet. Both glanced around fearfully as the quaking became more intense with every passing second, until the panes began to rattle erratically from an unknown source.

_Then came the sound._

The all too familiar terrifying hum.

The reverberating hum of a type of hybrid engine.

_An engine not of this world._

"Stupid Bitch!" He cried angrily, yellowed eyes bulging. "Now look what you have brought upon us!" He swiftly span facing her, teeth gritted in both fear and contempt. "I should have slaughtered you the minute you stepped foot in here!"

The man beckoned with his gun to the skies, swiveling this way and that in a crazed terror. He crouched low, proceeding to take refuge behind the powerless refrigerators, weapon grasped in quivering hands. The girl, instinctively withdrew into the shadows too, swallowed whole by the darkness, she crouched down, a clear view of the sky above through the shattered rafters. Numerous debris and dust began to cascade down upon them from the remnants of roof as the deafening humming escalated, growing steadily closer. Forcing her to squeeze her eyes to slits, she placed a protective hand across her brow, studying the now darkening skies in terror.

Then she saw it.

Through the churning smog, a vast black, alien looking vessel broke the dense, swiveling mass of falling ash, a ghostly faint light seeming to emit from its outer edges as it glided swiftly at ease above the wreckage and devastation below. Its colossal looming shadow immersed the hovel-like remnants of the store gradually until it was in complete blackness, extinguishing the few infringing streams of dim light. Grey eyes widened in horror and awe as they roved over the underside of the vast passing, air ship, studying the odd somewhat hieroglyphic type markings etched into its black granite surface.

Numerous elongated, interlocking spokes, running along both sides of the vessel formed a sort of protective Hyde around a series of long phallic black tendrils, which hung loosely from its underside. Curious eyes followed them as they swayed ominously in motion with the slow and deliberate movement of the ship. However over the sinister humming of the craft, she now detected something else, quiet but frighteningly clear.

Cries, _human cries._

Sobbing, pleading, screaming.

The ship reared slightly, as it began to grow narrower with each passing second, it's slender, elongated end coming at last, into view.

That is when she saw them.

Dozens, dozens of faces, peering out between the grates of some sort of vast hold attached to the underside of the ship. Wide eyes roved over numerous, terror-stricken, trembling and weeping forms of men, women and children. Clinging to one another, in fear, desperation and comfort.

"Fuckers, bastards, scum of the fucking earth," his cries were savage and considerably loud, given the situation they were in, "first my wife, then my only daughter," droplets of saliva began to fly from his mouth as he grew more and more enraged, "I will kill them, kill them all!... My poor, poor Ariana..." The man began wailing loudly, covering his wrinkled brow with a filthy hand, the other loosely placed in his lap. The gun slid once more from his grasp, balancing precariously across his trembling lap. Jaw set tightly, she clenched her teeth in irritation and contempt, proceeding to turn towards him and motioning frantically for him to stay quiet. Dark eyes swiftly darted back to the ominous grey skies to the rear of the slowly absconding ship.

"All of them gone... GONE!... turned to dust right before my eyes, and I could do nothing to save them. Just stood there. Stood there and watched them die-e-e-e!" The volume of his cries escalating, he cupped his face pathetically. Elbows rested on knees, he proceeded to rock backwards and forwards, in an inconsolable lament.

She shuffled forwards frantically—thick debris crunching rapidly beneath her soles—as she tried her best to keep within the confines of the shadows. Backing up slightly to the far wall, she proceeded to glance hastily through a particularly large crevice overlooking an expanse of the distance. Quickly depicting the ghoulish vessel amongst the thickening smog, still gliding stealthily over the numerous piles of wreckage some feet ahead.

Reaching for the waling man, her hand was shoved harshly over his open mouth, stifling his cries. He squinted at her through the dregs of tears, clinging to his short eyelashes. "Now... keep your god damn voice down! Or do you want to end up just like them?!" Her statement escaped in a hushed angry hiss, the last part said with deliberate force as she glared into his blotchy reddened eyes. The offending tears had sliced through the thick filth and congealed dust covering his face, causing harsh, white track marks. Studying her, he remained momentarily quiet, arms sprawled loosely at his sides as he looked up in to her furious and terrified face.

An ominous silence filled the chilling air, as she noted the fresh tears that had began to well up once more.

"Gone, gone, gone, turned to dust..." He repeated the phrase over and over, muffled but evidently still clear though her encased fingers. The girl sighed in frustration, not removing her hand from his quivering mouth; she eyed the isolated gun quietly. Careful not to draw attention to the fact that she was now, gently removing it from his shuddering lap. Once in her grasp, she swiftly rose, taking a few steps backward, and stood menacingly before him.

The weapon propped on her slim shoulder, was now aimed directly at his heaving chest. His eyes grew wide as he stared up at her mournfully, his sobs subsiding considerably as he eyed the loaded weapon apprehensively. "Now, calm down, and shut the fuck up before I blast a hole through your fucking skull..." She stated with deliberate, steady force. "Once that ship is at a safe range, I am getting the hell out of here, and you are going to allow me to. Until that time, you keep your damn mouth shut. Understand?" Their eyes met as the ominous silence droned on. Slumped and bewildered, he merely stared up at her with glazed eyes, not seeming to process what she had just said.

An odd, slight breeze bristled suddenly through the many littered cracks and openings in the structures walls. Whispering softly over her pallid skin, the fine unkempt hairs on her head began to dance in motion, shifting and swaying as an overwhelming sense of danger flared up within her. The whole structure seemed to creak and groan to its own accord. The mans sobs seeming to grow faint, grew to a mere muffled drone, as dark eyes glanced through the provided opening once more scanning the snippets of skies ahead. Depicting the distant vessel, she realized it had evidently slowed, almost to a standstill. The low humming sound it emitted had suddenly changed in pitch as it began to rear slightly to the left, making a slow and stealthy turn back towards the wreckage in which they were both concealed.

"It's coming back round." She whispered breathily. Teeth sank deep into the soft flesh of her trembling lower lip. Oblivious to the thin stream of blood that was drawn, which slowly began to seep down her quivering chin.

Once more the panes began to rattle erratically, as it made its approach. The deranged man cried out in terror, covering his head with his filthy hands and crouching into a near ball upon the carpet of ash. Lowering his hands over his ears, he began shaking uncontrollably in a terror stricken state, whimpers rising with vengeance. Thrown into a heavy blanket of darkness once again, the vessel came to a standstill, just above the wreckage in which they were cowering. A powerful, intensifying breeze from its rotating engines stirred the thick dust below, causing it to billow in a thick whirlwind around them. Once more, the chilling whimpers and cries of the apprehended could be heard above.

A sudden determination arose within her. She would not be joining them, not if she could help it. The grip on the apprehended weapon intensified in intransigent anticipation, as she waited on baited breath for whatever was about to transpire. Curious, terrified eyes, reduced to slits, peered up through a shattered roof, depicting an odd and sudden movement. A thin cone-like object attached to the underside of the ship, rotated sharply in their direction.

A sudden flash assaulted her eyes as it emitted a brilliant beam of green light. Watching on in stunned silence as a grid of semi- transparent laser- type lines, fanned outward horizontally. Passing right through herself and the man cowering upon the floor, the grid silently swept the entire expanse of the room. Abruptly coming to a stop at the very end of the hovel, it then swiftly made its way back towards them both. Nearing them once more, it then flickered and died.

Eyes met and locked quietly in shared terror and anticipation, as an awful silence ensued. Only filled with the continuous thrumming and howling of the ships engines above. Looking up fearfully, her eyes grew wide in sheer terror. A huge turret on the ships right flank was beginning to rotate silently toward them. A dim fiery light slowly gathering within it's core, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of building pressure, which intensified as the light grew brighter and brighter.

A beam of sudden reverberating light tore through the remnants of the structure, ripping it to instant shreds, the impact of the blast knocking her off her feet. Shattering glass and splintered debris flew in every direction, as the few remaining support beams of the structure collapsed inward. Numerous shelving units began to crumple, beneath the fallen, heavy, splintered beams, trapping the unfortunate girl beneath them.

A curious numbness ensued along the length of her arm, as she was buried beneath the thickening rubble. Breath coming in short labored gasps, she began to cough furiously, retching as dust and ash intruded her mouth and swept down her throat. Moments passed, an intense and peculiar buzzing filling her ears. Through dulled senses she picked up on a curious twinge, an insistent burning sensation in her left hand. Through bleary eyes she noted the gushing crimson fluid slowly seeping across the torn grimy skin of her digits.

With a grunt she raised her knees, pushing on the crushing metallic unit on top of her with the soles of her feet. The towering unit, swayed to the side, and as a result a huge beam of wood came crashing down to her right, bouncing slightly from the force. Recovering the discarded weapon amongst the rubble, she clambered upright in a slight daze, nursing her injured hand against her chest. Ignoring its insistent stinging, she gazed blearily around. Moonlight now flooded the blasted out shell of the structure, the ships intense flood lights beaming down upon her exposed form. Rising flames danced everywhere, throwing her in writhing, shifting shadows.

On trembling legs, she stumbled quickly toward the obliterated exit. A sudden black shape darted through her line of vision, proceeding to block her path. Hastily wiping away the residue dust and stray hairs clouding her vision, her eyes locked with those of the hostile man. A huge weeping gash ruptured the skin of his forehead; blood had been smeared across his cheek in a futile attempt to wipe his face free of it. His crazed eyes flicked to the weapon in her hand, growing wide with desperation and sudden contempt.

Engaged in a desperate scrabble, they wrestled fiercely, stumbling about on the uneven ground. Unaware of the slowly advancing tentacles protruding from the hovering ship, swaying at ease from left to right, waiting for the opportune moment to snag them. Gritting her teeth in mingled anger and concentration, she gripped the weapon with all the remaining strength she could muster. The man bowed his head suddenly and a hoarse howl of pain erupted from within her swollen throat as burning sensation seared through the tender flesh of her forearm. Wide eyes met the top of his balding head, as she flailed wildly, his teeth sinking deeper into the soft tissue, crimson already beginning to seep down the length of her arm, meeting the already oozing blood of her digits.

A cry of fury left her lips as he wrestled the gun from her slackened grasp, and proceeded to make a hasty escape. Ducking beneath a swirling advancing tentacle, he stumbled over the rubble piling the threshold, and clambered out on to the expanse of open street. Looking up, she was met once more with the glaring fiery abyss of the gargantuan turret. The sound of fast building pressure intensifying once more, as it prepared to blast the remnants of the hovel in. The writhing black tentacles intertwined and twisted malevolently just above her, slowly snaking their way towards her motionless body. With a repressed grunt, she proceeded to clamber frantically out onto the open street after him, the mound of rubble crumbling beneath her soles. The snake like coils quickly withdrew, as the ship lurched sideways, advancing on the escapees.

* * *

Lean legs pumping mechanically, she tore down the disembodied motorway, weaving between flaming vehicles, leaping over vast pot holes and ducking beneath collapsed telephone cables, adrenaline and sheer terror urging her quaking limbs onward. Crumbling brickwork and shattering glass could be heard, as the vast ship swiftly pursued her, obliterating any obstacles in its path. As the street grew narrower, the vessels spiked edge swerved and tore through the side of a church. The momentum of the collision sent its steeple cascading down, splintering in to countless pieces and scattering across the enclosed alleyway. Coming out on to another expanse of open road, she suddenly picked up on another sound, a series of shrill angry and panicked cries.

Glancing rapidly over her shoulder, her stomach lurched as she caught sight of the scruffy looking man, running wildly a few feet behind her. A few panicked shots from his weapon suddenly ensued, cracking the air. He was shooting blindly behind him at the advancing vessel, but to no avail. The shotguns bullets merely rebounded, ricocheting off the expanse of the ships metallic exterior with no affect.

Dark eyes widened in horror as a thick jet of flame, suddenly sprang from the ships turrets. Fire poured down upon the unfortunate man below, the heat consuming his flesh instantly. Falling to his knees he began clutching at his face in agony as the very skin there began to blister and bubble, rupturing and revealing the muscular tissue beneath. The screams of anguish and pain rang shrilly in her ears. Mouth agape in revulsion, she wildly span back around, the intense, deafening hammering of her heart in her ears.

Engines whirring, the ship resumed its relentless pursuit. Passing over the now, blackened, smouldering corpse, which was face down and motionless—spread eagled on the ashen floor. A defaced truck directly to her left was suddenly hit by an almighty blast. Immediately engulfed by a ball of surging blue fire, licking flames began peeling its red paint away instantly. A cry of shock rent her throat, as another blast shattered the nearby tiles of a rooftop, forcing her to stumble to the right. The loosened cracked slabs slid in a jagged dense wave and fell, shattering into scattered shards that briefly surrounded her fleeing form.

Grief, terror, and pure exhaustion caught up with her. The soot ridden air surging down her windpipe and filling her inflamed lungs, made her convulse. Rounding a sharp corner she clutched at the flesh of her abdomen, trying to ease the searing stitch throbbing there. Falling victim to a pot hole, the girl suddenly buckled, losing her footing. A sheer, intense fire bristled up the tendons of her ankle. Repressing a cry of pain, she scrabbled back up; fear and panic consumed her, as her thoughts returned to the ever gaining vessel.

Now limping unsteadily, her pace was slow, breath coming in pained, labored gasps. The pressure applied to the swollen limb, unbearable, she struggled furiously onward in a last desperate attempt of escape, features contorted into a twisted grimace of pain and exhaustion.

A sudden blaze of white magnesium light lifted her off her feet. An intense heat seared the back of her jeans as she was thrown forwards some feet from the impact. A loud sickening thwack rent the air, as delicate bone came into abrupt contact with solid rock mass. A slight, muffled groan passed her lips as a foggy whiteness ensued, engulfing her vision. A curious warm substance trickled from her crown, its metallic bitter taste washing over her parted lips. The ground began to quiver beneath her palms slightly, as the vessel closed in.

Disoriented by the thunderous roar of engines, and the intense breeze whipping at her face, the distinct screech of the ships thrusters filled her ringing ears as it slowed and steadied itself above her motionless form. The curious black tendrils writhed and pumped, moving to their own accord in shared anticipation. A single tendril proceeded to snake down toward her, leaving the others. Bleary, unfocused eyes span, trying to focus on the elongated blot of blackness that was drawing nearer. Twitching and jerking left to right rapidly as it slowly engulfed her vision. A scream of mingled terror and surprise rent her throat as something cool and firm snaked quickly around the exposed and bruised flesh of her ankle.

Teeth gritted, the captured limb was kicked and jerked frantically, trying to shake the odd tendrils relentless grip. Only to encourage another, to slither down and join its mate, retraining her other free, jerking limb. The tarmac began to sway suddenly and dip beneath her as her upper body was lifted slightly from the ground. Dragged backward, the tender flesh of her palms began to fray and tear, due to the desperate clawing and raking at the rough, splintered tarmac.

A cry of fury and bewilderment left her lips as she was jerked quickly upwards. The ashen ground below swayed sickeningly, dancing flames growing smaller as she was lifted higher in to the smog filled air. Pressure surged through her crown as she swayed precariously back and forth, upside down, shrieking in protest. Sharp nails came into contact with the odd encased exterior of her bonds, as she began clawing and raking desperately at them, but her futile attempts had no affect whatsoever.

The intense pressure surrounding her limbs suddenly slackened and then withdrew. Stomach lurching, she was dropped, spiraling downwards, mouth agape in a startled silent scream. Outstretched hands hit coarse ground hard, as she landed into the hellish pit bellow. Wrists and knees popped sickeningly, an intense wave of fire bristling through every throbbing nerve and muscle from the forceful contact. Coarse, strong hands gripped the flesh of her underarms in an attempt to assist her, and with a limp wave of her hand, slackened and withdrew. With a grunt, she managed to shuffle a few inched backward, breath escaping in a swift hiss as the flesh of her back came into contact with the vast grate of the hold. There she slumped, chest rising and falling in a rapid, uneven rhythm.

Dozens of concerned, indistinguishable faces span in front of her, dizzying and disorientating, fixing her with intent, worried stares. Dark eyes slowly drifted to the horizon on her left, roving over the rolling, shifting expanse of hellish wasteland. In bitter realization, a suppressed sigh left her lips. She could no longer recollect what picture the landscape once presented. Before all the blood shed, destruction and chaos. Her whole world was now laced with the permanent scars of a war raged, and the spilled blood of the innocent alike.

* * *

The torn gritty flesh of her knees stung insistently, the dense layer of ash littering the ground intruding the fresh weeping wounds. Despite the sheer bristling fire engulfing her fractured and impaired frame, through gritted teeth she repressed the urge to slump backward and tend to the numerous grazes and cuts sustained during her capture. Instead she allowed her ebony gaze to ascend slowly from the scorched ground she had been forced to kneel upon for the past half hour.

Brow furrowed, she squinted upwards, to the dreary, twisted citadel that loomed some 200 feet above. It seemed, she thought bitterly, they had already constructed a substantial sized base for there operations. The vast stretch of landscape surrounding it was jagged and dense, filled, no doubt, with numerous hidden and treacherous pitfalls. Any attempt of escape would be futile.

A slight breeze whispered placidly over the dry blackened landscape, encouraging shudders from the apprehended, semi clothed humans huddled below. The silence was unlike one she had ever known, broken only so often by slight whimpers and sobs. The slight creak of metallic armor and clinking of weaponry now drew her attention to the drones stood silently either side of them.

Much about these creatures was unknown, except their penchant thirst for destruction and intent to cause suffering and pain. She had quickly ascertained from past observation, that they also had the ability to take the form of any given earth vehicle. Whether it be aircraft or a vehicle designed specifically for land. She had been wary to venture far from hiding back then. Particularly with such a large quantity of vehicles scattered about the ruins of the City. However, the majority of the drones eventually inhabited the colossal gliding vessels, choosing instead to pursue their prey from the skies.

In appearance, they bore many similarities to us, their stature comparative to that of a human. Yet many notable differences still remained apparent. Stood some twenty feet high, layers of metallic plating covered every inch of the creatures, forming some sort of copious protective hyde. The thick segregated parts that formed their digits were currently clasped around the large holsters of some sort of malevolent looking weapons. The crimson hue of their glowing optics was the ever prominent feature gracing the sleek, metallic visages.

The stifled, sniveling whimpers of the encircling captives, drew her attention sharply from her thoughts. She quietly observed a girl to her right, who could have been no older than herself. The young woman was putting up a facade of brave determination, no doubt for the small form of a boy wrapped tightly in her arms, his whimpers muffled slightly by her encasing form. An elderly couple to her left had their heads bowed, rocking back and forth slightly, withered hands clasped tightly together in comfort. Others just sat motionless, glassy eyed and inanimate, staring blankly ahead. They gave the discernible impression that they now not cared what fate was decided for them, they were now just willing to accept it.

The creatures positioned either side of them stirred suddenly, their attention evidently drawn to something now approaching. A series of ominous, muffled, heavy clangs could now be detected resounding from within the Citadels dingy entrance. The whimpers from beside her grew more erratic. Limbs gripped with tension and fear now shuffled slightly, repressed gasps escaped in swift hisses as the footfalls grew steadily louder.

_Clang – Clang – Clang._

Slowly, all heads were raised, including her own. Every pair of bulging eyes now focused on the looming tunnel–like mouth of the fortress. An odd swaying yellowish ball of light slowly began materializing from within the darkness, growing steadily larger with each resounding clang. An intense spike of dread pierced her stomach as she squinted into the murky darkness desperately trying to ascertain this new approaching figure, and most importantly of all, their intentions.

The odd orb continued to increase in size until it was now roughly the size of a beach ball. Once at the very mouth of the tunnel, the light paused, hovering some many feet above. The darkness consuming what body the stranger possessed made it indistinguishable to all those desperately seeking it. Swaying from left to right in a slow and deliberate motion, the yellowish sphere slowly stilled once more, now seeming to focus on all those situated below.

Then, a voice, cold and unsympathetic reached all the ears of those trembling below. It spoke with a slight underlying static crackle, doubting the very humanity of the speaker.

"Bring them."


End file.
